Quilts of Valor Awarded to Three Female Veterans
Gladys Lueken (see below) from the Headwaters Quilt Guild along with Linda McPherson, Linda Gulbranson, Bonnie Underdahl, and Louise Walker were in attendance of the Bagley American Legion’s monthly meeting and 107th Birthday Dinner to recognize three women with a Quilt of Valor. March being Women’s History Month, it was the perfect opportunity to honor the
contributions and achievements of these women that served in the military protecting our nation.
Karen Surdez is a lifelong resident of Clearwater County, and Bagley High School graduate Class of 1999. She grew up in rural Bagley with an older brother Scot. You may recognize her from the Sanford Bagley MedicalCenter/Clinic where she is employed as a Patient Access Representative.
Karen’s grandfather served in the Army during WW2 and she had uncles who served in the Navy, Army, and Air Force. She is the only female in her family to serve in the military; she also took a different path by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in August of 2003.
Karen completed basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island 4th Battalion, SC. Her infantry training station was at Marine Combat training, Marine Corps Base Camp Geiger, NC. Karen’s MOS training for Traffic Management Specialist (TMS) took place on Army Base Fort Eustis, Virginia.
In her position she learned numerous Federal defense transportation systems, service regulations on commercial modes of transport, distributions, logistic functions for government sent out by land, air, and sea. She then learned passenger travel, pertaining to the movement of military personnel, dependents, and civilians. Additionally, shipping and receiving of freight in warehouse, military cargo, personal property, deployment functions, and storage of gear.
Her 1st duty station was Marine Corps Base Headquarters and Support Battalion, Camp Pendleton, CA. Her 2nd duty station was Marine Corps Base Headquarters and Service Battalion S.D. Butler, Camp Hansen- Okinawa, Japan. On January 4, 2008 Karen was honorably discharged from active duty as E4-Corporal.
During her time of service she was presented the National Defense Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Global War of Terrorism Medal, and Rifle Marksman Badge. Karen said “While I was on active duty I did normal routine military duties of physical training, ceremonies, drilling, rifle range, martial arts, cleaning of barracks, studying USMC knowledge, learning leadership skills while serving my country, plus so much more. I had a great time my four years experiencing new places, people, foods, etc. I have no regrets of serving I would do it again in a heartbeat! I think it is something every person should do, and serve something bigger than ourselves. SEMPER FIDELIS!” Semper Fidelis is the motto for the United States Marine Corps meaning “Always Faithful” and how they greet and part with other marines.
Karen’s parents Mark and Rose Surdez and her grandparents honored her with a paver stone at the Clearwater County Veterans Memorial Site. She is a proud member of the American Legion Irvin Blix Post 16 and has been for the past 16 years
Kayci (Drellack) Styles is a 1996 graduate of Bagley High School. She enlisted in the Air Force August 1996, less than a month after her 18th birthday. She went to San Antionio,
Texas to Lackland Air Force Base for basic training and Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas for her technical school. Kayci trained as a Utilities Systems Apprentice at the Civil Engineering Training Squadron located there. At tech school, Kayci sang in the base choir, and in the Protestant Church Choir while she was attaining her “Green Rope” as a student leader. She graduated from technical school in December of 1996.
Kayci was then sent to Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, Missouri as her first dutystation. She was assigned to the Utilities Systems Section on the Civil Engineering
Squadron in January of 1997. For several months Kayci worked in the Plumbing Shop learning the basics of interior and exterior plumbing until she was given the opportunity to learn fire suppression. Initially, she learned the basics of fire sprinkler systems by conducting maintenance and testing on the various buildings around base, but eventually she was able to specialize in Flight-line Fire Suppression. She attended several additional trainings to ensure competency.
In June of 2007, Airman Drellack was deployed to Prince Sultan Air Force Base in Saudi Arabia as a member of a 21-man Civil Engineering Team from Whiteman in support of Operation Southern Watch. Her team built tents, constructed hard flooring for the MASH hospital, built latrines and showers, developed and installed metal revetment along with hundreds of yards of concrete and dirt to improve the stability of the base bomb shelters, built and repaired flight-lines and roads. While there, Kayci earned an Expeditionary Medal and an Air Force Achievement Medal.
Upon her return to Whiteman, Kayci was placed in the Fire Alarm Suppression Team (FAST) Shop where she would work with two additional plumbers and three electricians to ensure the fire safety of the B2 Bomber maintenance and testing hangers in addition to the weapons storage areas. Because of the nature of the plane, the FAST Shop was constantly working with the Engineering Section to improve the fire protection for aircraft using AFFF (aqueous film forming foam) as the standard for flight-line fire suppression in addition to standard maintenance and testing of all the hangers.
In 1998, Kayci started dating fellow “plumber” Senior Airman Stephen Styles, who was also stationed at Whiteman and worked in the Wastewater Treatment Plant. In September of 1998 they were married at the base chapel. They welcomed their first child the following April.
Kayci separated from the Air Force in March of 1999 to be a full-time mom to their children. She then spent the next 16 years as an Air Force wife following her husband to Germany, Las Vegas, and Alaska, where he finally retired.
Airman Kayci Styles also earned the Outstanding Unit Award, a few Letters of Appreciation(LOA), Utilities Systems Technician of the Quarter, a Missouri License in water treatment and backflow prevention, Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, and AF Training Ribbon. If you ask her, she will tell you that the most amazing award she ever got was the chance to fly in a fully loaded F15 over the 32nd Parallel while guarding a U-2 spy plane over Iraq.
Kayci worked as a Substitute Teacher and Cheerleading coach at Ramstein High School while her husband was stationed there. She also earned her A.A. degree from the college associated with the base while there. While Stephen was stationed in Las Vegas, Kayci worked at University Medical Center in the Safety Department, and she completed her B.A. in Emergency Management with an Emphasis in Homeland Security. Then she worked as the Safety Officer and Emergency Manager for Sunrise Hospital, also in Las Vegas. While there, she finished her Master of Public Health degree.
In 2020, Stephen and Kayci moved to Clearwater County to retire on Long Lake. They enjoy being able to have her parents Don and Ann Drellack, children-Brendan and wife Jean, Lexi, and RayAnn(Bagley graduate 2021) three sisters Brandi and Ryan Anderson, Brenda and Stuart Dukek, along with Kati and Bill Palmer gather at their home.
She now works as a substitute teacher for Bagley High School. She and her husband, Stephen, are current members of the American Legion and were members of the Eagle River, Alaska V.F.W. In addition to her and her husband’s service, her dad and two grandfathers were in the Army as well as her niece, Bayli Dukek, who just separated from the Guard in November. Her nephew Josh Dukek was a Marine. She does not have a paver stone yet, but intends to get all the stones located by each other.
Cindy (Mathison) Leija was born to Sandy and Keith Mathison in Longview WA. She has a brother Brian. The family moved to Bagley, her
father’s hometown, in 1978. She graduated with the Bagley High School class of 1989.
Cindy enlisted in the United States Navy in January 1991 following the announcement of the Persian Gulf War also known as Operation Desert Storm.
She completed her basic training at the Naval training Center near Orlando FL. Cindy’s MOS training was as an aviation electrician. Herduty station was Naval Support Activity Mid-South Millington TN.
Cindy met her husband Louis while in the Navy and became a Navy wife raising two children while they were stationed in Norfolk VA.
Cindy’s honorably discharge was in 1993 with the rank of E-1. During her military career she received a National Defense Service Ribbon.
Cindy is not the only member of her family to serve in the military. Her grandfather Ted served with the Navy Seals during the Vietnam War Era. Several of her uncles were also members of the armed forces in the Army and Navy. Her brother Brian served with the National Guard.
Cindy is proud that military service is continuing with the next generation as her son Antonio Leija has served in the US Army as a medic. He completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan. After his discharge he went to nursing school and now has a career as a nurse in Syracuse NY.
Cindy returned to Bagley as an empty nester in 2020 to be near family. In the winter she claims to be a hermit but comes alive in the summer and enjoys being in a lake or on a river with either a paddle boat or kayak.
She works as an interviewer for a market research company. For four years she has beena member of the American Legion Irvin Blix Post 16